Big increase in healthcare premium next year

[manlymatt83]

Mine didn't go up at all.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Same shit different year. Cost of living skyrocketing wages stagnant or decreasing.

 

[highland145]

😡😡😡😡😡

Self-employed here. Premium for spouse and me increased 20% to $480/mo! That's with high deductibles too!

Who do you have. Fixing to lose the government plan 2/28/2011. They offered to let us keep it at $1200/mo.😱 Gotta find something by then.

 

[preslove]

You do realize that if employers didn't provide healthcare it would be more expensive per person? They're able to pool the risk, thus lowering the cost to health insurance companies.

You do realize that every single other 1st world country has some form national health system that pools risk across their entire population, right?

 

[ViviTheMage]

no increase for me.

 

[SunnyD]

no increase for me.

Same.

 

[moshquerade]

Without going all P&N, it's time for our annual benefits enrollment and I'm noticing 18%-20% increase in premium for health/vision benefits compared to last year. Pretty much negate that little raise and more. Yeah yeah I know, be happy to have a job? Just ranting.

You have to pay more for those who can't pay. :\

 

[40Hands]

You do realize that every single other 1st world country has some form national health system that pools risk across their entire population, right?

OMG Socialiiiiissssmmm!😱

 

[Anubis]

mine pretty much stayed the same, actually it got better in the fact that we changed who covers dental for us and they give us more for the same amount

 

[TwiceOver]

7%, the lowest of our provider. Nevermind the fact that we used only half as much as we paid in. :confused;

 

[Patranus]

But but but Obama said Obamacare would lower costs.

LOL

 

[Vette73]

Yes, employers are using Obamacare as the excuse to shift costs to employees, and insurers are pretending it's the reason why they're raising rates as much as they always have.

Here in WA, Boeing used the Obamacare lie in letter to employees, giving the reason for 2011 increases as a provision of it that doesn't take effect until 2018.

Just remember your employer's behavior when the economy improves and you have more choices of where to work.

:thumbsup:

 

[2Xtreme21]

But but but Obama said Obamacare would lower costs.

LOL

It did, genius. From the article:

The report identities the trend of American workers accelerating their use of healthcare in anticipation of losing their jobs and - potentially their health insurance coverage - as one of the drivers expected to increase medical costs in 2010. Other factors driving up medical costs include the rise of unemployment, which is resulting in an increase in the uninsured and underinsured population, a drop in membership in commercial health plans and a higher percentage of the population covered by Medicaids. These trends are offset by factors expected to drive down medical cost, including the longer-term promise of health reform and potential for high deductible health plans and wellness programs to restrain costs, the report says.

HURRRRRR!!!11

 

[Phokus]

You do realize that every single other 1st world country has some form national health system that pools risk across their entire population, right?

Actually i nationalized single payer insurance, but between people buying individual insurance and companies pooling insurance, i prefer the latter.

 

[2Xtreme21]

Actually i nationalized single payer insurance, but between people buying individual insurance and companies pooling insurance, i prefer the latter.

Agreed. My insurance plan couldn't possibly be better for what I'm paying right now.

Still, I'll be the first one at the polling place to pull the lever in support of single-payer health care should it ever make the ballot (and not scare the bajesus out of the "compassionate conservatives").

 

[Patranus]

It did, genius. From the article:



HURRRRRR!!!11

Wait, so since I cannot buy a high deductible (low premium) health plan anymore my premiums will go down when I have to buy a plan with more services?

You are also telling me that insurance companies have to offer preventative services at no cost but my plan will be cheaper?

You are too funny.

Oh, and by the way, my insurance went up 10% for the first time in years. The letter specifically stated it went up BECAUSE of Obamacare. Oh, another letter also stated I would have to get off my $150 per month plan to something more significant BECAUSE if Obamacare.

Oh and guess what, my insurance is provided by a non-profit (Kaiser) so try again.

Its simple economics. Government forces a company to provider services, prices will go up. As demand increases access to those services decrease.

The result?

Health care in America turns into complete shit like Canada.

 

[Meghan54]

You do realize that if employers didn't provide healthcare it would be more expensive per person? They're able to pool the risk, thus lowering the cost to health insurance companies.

Bull. The U.S. spends more on healthcare than any other industrialized nation in the world.....in 2007, it was at 16% of GDP, the highest rate in the world.....

And with our high spending rate, we certainly aren't getting anywhere near our money's worth.....behind such "advanced" countries like Cuba, Hungary, Czech Republic in infant mortality (the U.S. is ranked 41st in infant mortality). Same with life expectancy.....currently, we rank 49th. You'd think that with the U.S. outspending every other country, our health outcomes would be better......but we're pathetically horrible.

Infant mortality: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2091rank.html

Life Expectancy: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2102rank.html


On March 1, 2010, billionaire investor Warren Buffethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett said that the high costs paid by U.S. companies for their employees’ health care put them at a competitive disadvantage. He compared the roughly 17% of GDP spent by the U.S. on health care with the 9% of GDP spent by much of the rest of the world, noted that the U.S. has fewer doctors and nurses per person, and said, “that kind of a cost, compared with the rest of the world, is like a tapeworm eating at our economic body."

And we're not getting any benefit from groups for reducing prices. Hospitals are territorial.....try to open a new hospital. The existing one will immediately slap a "Certificate of Need" requirement for the proposed new one to stop it from being constructed.....hospitals do not want competition at all.

Ever have a hospital show you a price list of procedures/room costs/etc., prior to you going in? So how are you making an informed decision? We certainly cannot price shop for health care.

Same with MD's. Ever try to get a straight answer from a surgeon about how much it'll cost for any surgery? You won't......they slide their bill according to your insurance company. Some pay better, some worse. And a lot of what the ins. co. pays depends on what the ins. co. pegs as the UCR....usual, customary, and reasonable fees. So, an MD charges more than the UCR....the ins. co. adjusts what they'll pay off what they deem the UCR, pay their percentage and leave you with the rest.

And in a country that demands the health care of its cows be damned good, and the cattle's health care is better than the health care of its people, the concept of having a life threatening illness possibly bankrupting you even when you have excellent insurance is a sham.

We pay the most and get the least from the money spent. If that's a good health care system/model, then why does anyone bitch about the gov't. bailing out GM, Chrysler, Wall Street, et al. We don't seem to give a damn about real costs or performance from the money spent, so why worry about all those other insignificant things?

 

[2Xtreme21]

Wait, so since I cannot buy a high deductible (low premium) health plan anymore my premiums will go down when I have to buy a plan with more services?

You are also telling me that insurance companies have to offer preventative services at no cost but my plan will be cheaper?

You are too funny.

Oh, and by the way, my insurance went up 10% for the first time in years. The letter specifically stated it went up BECAUSE of Obamacare.

Hold on. Before you kneejerk your leg off, first tell me what specifically is "Obamacare." Is the president somehow offering me health care?

Second of all, there is nothing in the bill that is forbidding you from buying a high deductible plan or eliminating HSAs. There are more restrictions on it, sure.. like penalizing you for spending HSA money on non-medical expenses, but ye ol president is not saying, "Patranus, I hereby forbid you from deciding your own health expenses."

Also, the real funny part is, because more and more of you kneejerk types are bailing out of all normal health insurance plans and moving to high deductible plans, you're removing yourselves from contributing to the pool, thus ironically, creating higher insurance premiums. 😀

 

[40Hands]

*drivel snipped out*

Health care in America turns into complete shit like Canada.

Hahahahahahaahahahaha!

Tell us another one!

 

[Patranus]

Hold on. Before you kneejerk your leg off, first tell me what specifically is "Obamacare." Is the president somehow offering me health care?

You are really going to pull this one?

Second of all, there is nothing in the bill that is forbidding you from buying a high deductible plan or eliminating HSAs. There are more restrictions on it, sure.. like penalizing you for spending HSA money on non-medical expenses, but ye ol president is not saying, "Patranus, I hereby forbid you from deciding your own health expenses."

You couldn't be more incorrect.
My current high deductible plan does not cover preventative care thus its low premiums.

Now, Obamacare specifically states that preventative care must be covered. So if I am forced to buy more services, do you really think that my premium can stay the same? Catastrophic plans were no specifically outlawed but new regulations regarding what plans must offer, prevents carriers from selling them.

Also, the real funny part is, because more and more of you kneejerk types are bailing out of all normal health insurance plans and moving to high deductible plans, you're removing yourselves from contributing to the pool, thus ironically, creating higher insurance premiums. 😀

Huh?

I am making a CHOICE which best fits my life.
I don't need to contribute as much to the pool because I do not use those services and the odds of me collecting is so low.

Its all about risk/reward, choice, and liberty.

Sadly, we have a wold filled with "progressives" who are intent on taking away choice and personal responsibility.

 

[Gunslinger08]

I haven't really looked at proposals for nationalized health care. How are proponents intending to pay for it? Increased corporate taxes to recoup the money they're already sending to insurance companies plus increased personal income taxes to recoup the money we're paying for employee premiums?

 

[feralkid]

Make no mistake, Obamacare was legislation designed to drive up costs, force people off their plans and into government programs, and then put the government in a position where single payer is the only choice.

You were mistaken the first time you made that claim, why do you think repeating it makes any difference?

 

[shopbruin]

Mine went down a little bit. I'm just annoyed how much it costs me to cover myself and my husband.

 

[Gibson486]

they git rid of our hmo.

All we have are high deductible plans, but they are giving us $600 towards our deductible.

 

[PsiStar]

Study the vision plan carefully. They are usually not cost effective. I dropped mine a few years ago and for the 1st time in years I could get frames that did not weigh a ton. Also got several 1/2 offs. My exam by an ophthalmologist cost $120.

A friend of mine has insurance, went to the same office & her exam was >$500. Of course it was free for her since she had insurance. The ins co paid ~$200.